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Every Stanley Cup Winner Since 1918 (List + Quick Facts)

Since the NHL took sole control of the Stanley Cup in 1918, the trophy has been awarded over 100 times, with 27 different franchises winning at least once. The Toronto Arenas were the first NHL-only champions in 1918, and the list runs without interruption except for 1919 (Spanish flu) and 2005 (lockout). This article provides a complete year-by-year list of every Stanley Cup winner with quick facts about each championship.

January 25, 2026

The Complete Stanley Cup List

Every champion from 1918 to present:

The Stanley Cup has been awarded annually since 1918 (with two exceptions) to the NHL playoff champion. Each entry includes champion, runner-up, and Conn Smythe Trophy winner when applicable (1965 onward).

List Structure:

Year and champion team
Runner-up (Finals opponent)
Conn Smythe Trophy winner (1965-present)
Notable context or series details

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1918-1940s: Early NHL Era

The original NHL championships:

1918: Toronto Arenas def. Vancouver Millionaires First NHL-only champion after league formation.

1919: No Winner Series cancelled due to Spanish flu pandemic, only year without champion.

1920-1924: Multiple Champions Ottawa Senators won twice (1920, 1921, 1923), Montreal Canadiens won 1924.

1925: Victoria Cougars def. Montreal Canadiens Last non-NHL team to win Cup before NHL took exclusive control.

1926-1940: Original Six Dominance Begins Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings began building dynasty foundations.

Notable Champions:

Montreal Canadiens: 1930, 1931
Toronto Maple Leafs: 1932
New York Rangers: 1928, 1933, 1940
Detroit Red Wings: 1936, 1937

This era established Original Six teams as Cup powerhouses.

1940s-1960s: Dynasty Era

Original Six dominance at peak:

1940-1955: Toronto and Detroit Toronto won five Cups (1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951), Detroit won four (1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955).

1956-1960: Montreal Canadiens Dynasty Five consecutive Cups, unprecedented run led by Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, and Jacques Plante.

1961-1967: Toronto's Last Cups Maple Leafs won four times (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967), last championship coming in 1967 before 50+ year drought.

First Conn Smythe Trophy (1965): Jean Beliveau (Montreal) became first playoff MVP winner.

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1968-1980: Expansion Era

New teams join championship club:

1968: Montreal Canadiens def. St. Louis Blues Conn Smythe: Glenn Hall (St. Louis, despite losing)

1970: Boston Bruins def. St. Louis Blues Conn Smythe: Bobby Orr. Famous flying goal photo.

1972: Boston Bruins def. New York Rangers Conn Smythe: Bobby Orr (second)

1974-1975: Philadelphia Flyers (Broad Street Bullies) First expansion team to win Cup, back-to-back championships. Conn Smythe: Bernie Parent (both years)

1976-1979: Montreal Canadiens Dynasty Four consecutive Cups, dominating with Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, Larry Robinson.

1980: New York Islanders def. Philadelphia Flyers Conn Smythe: Bryan Trottier. Beginning of Islanders dynasty.

1981-1990: Islanders and Oilers

Two dynasties define decade:

1981-1983: New York Islanders Four consecutive Cups (1980-1983), matching Montreal's streak. Conn Smythe winners: Butch Goring (1981), Mike Bossy (1982), Billy Smith (1983)

1984-1990: Edmonton Oilers Dynasty Five Cups in seven years (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990). Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey dominated era. Conn Smythe: Gretzky (1985, 1988), Messier (1984), Ranford (1990)

1989: Calgary Flames def. Montreal Canadiens Conn Smythe: Al MacInnis. Broke Oilers' streak.

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1991-2004: Pre-Lockout Era

Penguins, Devils, Red Wings dominate:

1991-1992: Pittsburgh Penguins Back-to-back Cups with Mario Lemieux. Conn Smythe: Lemieux (1991), Lemieux (1992)

1994: New York Rangers def. Vancouver Canucks Conn Smythe: Brian Leetch. Ended 54-year drought.

1995-2003: Red Wings and Devils Detroit won three (1997, 1998, 2002), New Jersey won three (1995, 2000, 2003).

2001: Colorado Avalanche def. New Jersey Devils Conn Smythe: Patrick Roy. Ray Bourque finally wins Cup.

2004: Tampa Bay Lightning def. Calgary Flames Conn Smythe: Brad Richards. Last Cup before lockout.

2005-2015: Salary Cap Era

Parity increases with salary cap:

2005: No Winner Entire season cancelled by lockout.

2006: Carolina Hurricanes def. Edmonton Oilers Conn Smythe: Cam Ward

2007-2009: Anaheim, Detroit, Pittsburgh Three different champions in three years. 2009: Crosby wins first Cup

2010-2015: Chicago Blackhawks Dynasty Three Cups in six years (2010, 2013, 2015). Built around Toews, Kane, Keith. Conn Smythe: Toews (2010), Kane (2013), Keith (2015)

2011: Boston Bruins def. Vancouver Canucks Conn Smythe: Tim Thomas. Physical, controversial series.

2012: Los Angeles Kings def. New Jersey Devils Conn Smythe: Jonathan Quick. First Cup for Kings.

2016-Present: Modern Era

Recent Cup champions:

2016-2017: Pittsburgh Penguins Back-to-back Cups with Crosby, Malkin. Conn Smythe: Crosby (2016), Crosby (2017)

2018: Washington Capitals def. Vegas Golden Knights Conn Smythe: Alex Ovechkin. First Cup for franchise and Ovechkin.

2019: St. Louis Blues def. Boston Bruins Conn Smythe: Ryan O'Reilly. From last place in January to Cup.

2020: Tampa Bay Lightning def. Dallas Stars Conn Smythe: Victor Hedman. Bubble playoffs due to COVID-19.

2021: Tampa Bay Lightning def. Montreal Canadiens Conn Smythe: Andrei Vasilevskiy. Back-to-back Cups.

2022: Colorado Avalanche def. Tampa Bay Lightning Conn Smythe: Cale Makar. Ended Tampa's repeat bid.

2023: Vegas Golden Knights def. Florida Panthers Conn Smythe: Jonathan Marchessault. Expansion team wins in Year 6.

2024: Florida Panthers def. Edmonton Oilers Conn Smythe: Connor McDavid (despite losing). Florida's first Cup.

Notable Streaks and Records

Championship patterns:

Longest Winning Streaks:

Montreal Canadiens: 5 consecutive (1956-1960)
New York Islanders: 4 consecutive (1980-1983)
Montreal Canadiens: 4 consecutive (1976-1979)

Most Cups (Franchise):

Montreal: 24 Cups
Toronto: 13 Cups
Detroit: 11 Cups

Longest Active Droughts:

Toronto Maple Leafs: Since 1967 (57+ years)
Buffalo Sabres: Never won
Vancouver Canucks: Never won

Special Circumstances

Years with unique situations:

1919: Spanish Flu Only year Stanley Cup not awarded. Series tied 2-2-1 when cancelled.

2005: Lockout Entire season cancelled, no playoffs or Cup awarded.

2020: Bubble Playoffs COVID-19 pandemic forced bubble format in Edmonton and Toronto.

These three years represent only interruptions in Cup's 100+ year NHL history.

The Verdict

From 1918 Toronto Arenas to 2024 Florida Panthers, the Stanley Cup represents hockey's ultimate achievement. Montreal Canadiens' 24 championships lead all franchises, while Toronto's 1967 drought shows how difficult winning has become.

The list includes five consecutive Cup dynasties (Montreal 1956-1960), expansion-era champions (Flyers 1974-1975), and modern parity where teams rarely repeat.

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